RhinoPherret

Air Force Test Fires F-35's Gun With New Software
BY GILLIAN RICH, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Lockheed Martin's (NYSE:LMT) F-35A completed its first in-air gun fire tests last week as the Air Force works to get the plane combat ready for next year.

On Friday, a test plane fired three bursts from the F-35A's 25-millimeter Gatling gun at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
"The results of this testing will be used in future blocks of testing, where the accuracy and mission effectiveness capabilities will be evaluated," said Mike Glass, Edwards ITF flight test director, in a release.

The tests used the updated 3F version of the F-35's software that will give the plane full war-fighting capabilities in 2017.
The Marine Corps and Navy variants have a different configuration for the cannon, and live testing of the F-35B and F-35C versions will take place in the summer of 2016.

The Marines declared their F-35B version of the stealth fighter combat ready in July, and initial operational capability for the Air Force's F-35 variant is expected in 2016. The Navy's version is seen combat ready in 2018 to 2019.

It's been a long and turbulent flight path for the F-35.
The joint strike fighter was supposed to be operational in 2010, but there have been issues with the plane's development over the years.

A problem with the United Technologies' (NYSE:UTX) Pratt & Whitney engine caused the plane to catch on fire in 2014. The Pentagon has said the problem has been fixed.

Now issues with the helmet and ejection seat for lighter-weight pilots are under scrutiny.

Grumble

Only took 20 years... Way to go LHM.

UAL T38 Phlyer

+1.

You know what Bender would tell LHM to do!

KA350Driver

So they've been building this thing for over half the time I've been on this earth and they're just now getting around to shooting the gun?

Grumble

If you ever need to learn how to geopolitically engineer a trillion dollar program on the back of of tax payers to reap bigger rewards for your shareholders... LHM is your unicorn.

This thing should've gone the way of the Commanche a long time ago. Cut the losses, keeping it going because of money already spent is just stupid.

block30

So why was the old M61 not used for the F35???? Reinvent the wheel and spend more money?

UAL T38 Phlyer

Supposedly to get more kinetic energy from a 25mm bullet than a 20mm.

A 30mm would have been better, but space was already an issue, and besides, that would be an argument for keeping the A-10.....

Best of all: while the venerable M61 carries about 600 rounds (as I recall, the Phantom was 645), and the A-10 carries 1174, the Air Force F-35A, WHEN IT GETS THE GUN IN FOUR YEARS, will carry:

One hundred and eighty (180). A 1.4 second burst.

Those of you who have done strafe understand the realities therein.

block30

Yeah, why even put all the extra weight and complexity on the aircraft? How useless!! You can't really use it, but technically there is a gun/really expensive paper weight so we can continue to say we learned from our past military mistakes in press conferences and testimony on The Hill.

It seems all they are doing is checking a box.
Stealth? Check.
Word "Joint" in name? Check.
Gun? Check.

icohftb

Recheck your math. ROF is 3300 rpm which would equate to 3.3s. Not still not much but more than what you stated. Projectile weight roughly double with similar muzzle velocity equates to higher muzzle energy. Maybe they can add a selectable hi/lo ROF.

UAL T38 Phlyer

Sorry; I was given a different rate.

Still, at best, two passes in a conventional sense (controlled range with open-fire and foul lines at 3000 and 1000 ft; 450 indicated).

My experience with strafe is limited, and only on a weapons range, but even with a sophisticated HUD for it, it is difficult! Turbulence and other aircraft jostling makes it difficult to keep the pipper/gun line on target; in combat, it would be nice to have more bullets that spray "around the edges" until you can walk it in.

While getting shot at?

Very difficult. Bring extra bullets.

Oh, wait.....